What does the Almighty mean in the Qur'an?
Answer:
The Prophet's messages about how much love Allah has for His servants:
صحيح البخاري ـ حسب ترقيم فتح الباري (8/ )123
6469- حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ, حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ , عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ , رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ : إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الرَّرحْمَةَ يَوْمَ خَلَقَهَا مِئَةَ رَحَمَةٍ فَأَمْسَكَ عِنْدَهُ تِسْعً and لَمْ يَيْأَسْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِكُلِّ الَّذِي عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ لَمْ يَأْمَنْ مِنَ النَّارِ.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
When Allah created love and mercy, He made it a hundred kinds. He kept ninety-nine types of them with himself. He bestowed only that (remaining) single portion upon all His creation.
Therefore, if the disbeliever were to realize the full extent of Allah's mercy, he would not despair of Paradise. (Likewise,) if the believer were to realize the full extent of the punishment Allah inflicts, he would not remain without fear of Hell.
Source: Bukhari (6469)
Sahih Muslim (8/96)
7150 – Narrated by Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Numair, from his father, from Abdul Malik, from Ata, from Abu Hurairah:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Allah possesses one hundred parts of mercy. He sent down one part of it among the Jinn, mankind, animals, and creeping creatures. It is through this single portion that they show affection and compassion toward one another.
It is through this that even a wild animal shows affection for its offspring. Allah has reserved ninety-nine parts of mercy with which He will show mercy to His servants on the Day of Resurrection." (Among them) ninety-nine parts of love Allah has set aside. Through them He will (specially) show love to His (good) servants on the Day of Resurrection.
Text: Muslim (5312)
(8/9)
5999- حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ , حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسَلَمَ , عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ, رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ,
قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَبْىٌ فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْيِ قَدْ تَحْلُبُ إَدْيَهَا تَسْقِي إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًا فِي السَّبْيِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ فَقَالَ لَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ وَهْيَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ لَ تَطْرَحَهُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا.
Some of the prisoners (of the clan of Hawass) came to the Prophet (PBUH). A woman among them gushed milk from her breast. She searched for her child to nurse it. Unable to find the child, whenever she saw an infant among the captives, she would pick it up and nurse it. Eventually, upon finding her own child, she clasped it to her bosom and nursed it.
At that moment, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked us, "Would this woman throw her child into the fire? Tell me!" We replied, "No, she could never do such a thing under any circumstances." Then, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Allah is far more merciful to His servants than this woman is to her child."
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (5999)
Among all people in the world, it is the mother who bestows the greatest love. No other human being can be cited as an example of love comparable to a mother; a mother's love is truly immense. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) drew a comparison between a mother's love and the love of the Divine.
However, he did not merely equate the two; he indicated that Allah's love is even greater than that of a mother. It should be noted that the specific claim—often heard—that Allah is seventy times more loving than a mother is not found in the Prophetic traditions (Hadith) known to us.